Hazardous Waste Transportation

The Basics of Hazardous Waste Transportation

Hazardous Waste We at ECTI are experts in hazardous waste transportation. But, for anyone outside of our industry, you may be a bit curious as to what such expertise entails. That’s why in this article, we will discuss the basics of hazardous waste transportation for a glimpse into the ECTI world.

What is hazardous waste

To begin with, you must first understand what it is that we transport. You may have heard the term hazardous waste. However, there are specific properties that distinguish this classification of materials from all others. As a simple definition, hazardous waste includes all materials that are known to exhibit at least one of the following qualities: ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity, and toxicity. These can be found in any physical state, gaseous, liquid, or solid. And in the most practical terms, these materials are those that cannot be disposed of by conventional household means.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, an estimated 40 million tons of hazardous waste are produced every year across the world. And almost one percent of that (400,000 tons) is transported across international borders. That’s why proper and safe transportation is so critical. And this is where we at ECTI come in–to ensure that these processes are perfectly executed for your facility.

The basics of what you need to know about hazardous waste transportation: 

Hazardous waste transporters: 
Hazardous waste transporters have a particular skillset and a unique yet essential job. These are individuals or entities that are responsible for moving hazardous waste. They will transport the material from its point of generation to a facility that can recycle, treat, store, or dispose of it by some form of transportation. Since this job requires transporters to move hazardous waste via public roads, highways, rails, and waterways, the EPA and US Department of Transportation has created several regulations for hazardous waste transporters. These are outlined in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). To name a few of these regulations, a transporter must:
  • Obtain an EPA ID number
  • Comply with EPA’s hazardous waste manifest system
  • Handle hazardous waste discharges
  • Obel all applicable US DOT hazardous materials regulations
Transfer facilities: 
Sometimes, hazardous waste must be temporarily held during transportation by an authorized facility. Such a facility is technically known as a transportation-related facility. Examples of these could include things like a loading dock, packing area, storage area, and other areas where shipments are held. These can hold waste without a storage permit in US DOT containers for ten days or less. However, if waste is kept longer, the transfer facility becomes a storage facility. And in this case, it becomes subject to all applicable regulations of a treatment, storage, or disposal facility.
With some insight into the world of a hazardous waste material transporter and the facilities they use, you have a better understanding of the work of our team at ECTI. Reach out today if you or your facility requires transportation for your hazardous waste materials.
No Comments

Post A Comment